Lubricator



NuModel.) E S MOORE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) 1 E S 4SheetS-Shee`t 2.

LUBRIGATOR.

' No. 560,595. Patented May 19,1896.

rNo Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. S. MOORE.

LUBRIGATOR. No. 569,595. Patented May 19, 1896.

Nrrnn STATES ATENT firmen.'

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,595, dated May 19, 1896. Application filed September 19, 1895. Serial No. 563,027. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- l Beit known that l, EDWIN S. MOORE, a citizen' of the United States, residing at Pine Bluff, in the county oit' Jefferson and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsV to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in lubricators, and especially to that class of lubricators which are more generally used on locomotives, in which the oil is fed into the cylinder or parts to be lubricated by the condensationof steam and in which the feed of the oil is regulated as may be desired.

The said invention is intended especially to provide certain improvements in lubricators of the type shown in the expired patent,`

No. 179,226, granted June 27 1876, to Nicholas Seibert.

The said invention is intended to provide improved, simplified, and cheaper means for accomplishing the desired result than is now accomplished by lubricators of this general type.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a side elevation, partly in section, along the line 1 l of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 2 represents a section along the line 2 2 of Fig. l and looking to the left. Fig. 3 represents a plan view on a smaller scale and partly in section along the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4. represents a plan view, also on a smaller scale, of the top of the oil-reservoir after the steam-chamber has been removed. Fig 5 represents an inverted plan view of the steamchamber. Fig. 6 represents a modification of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the plug with its connection.

Fig. S represents a modification, showing three sight-feed tubes connected to one oilrcservoir. Fig.9 rcpresentsa section along the line 8 8 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a section along the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, and Fig. ll represents a detail view of the automatic check-valve by which the contents of the oilchamber are prevented from being drawn into the steam-chamber when the latter conrains only condensed steam or vapor at a very low pressure.

A represents the oil-reservoir, which is provided with a bottom A', sloping downward, as at a4, and provided with a central boss-c5, with a female screw-thread a for the dripcock. (Not shown.) This shape of the bottom keeps some water always in the oil-reservoir, which assists in condensing the steam, whereby the device is caused to operate more promptly.

The top of the oil-reservoir is screwed in, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and the body of the oil-reservoir exterior to this screw top is provided with two annular grooves a2 and c3, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, or a single annular groove corresponding to that shown in Fig. 6 and hereinafter to be described may be adopted, if preferred. The annular groove c2 is provided with ports a, opening into the ports a7 or chambers in thc opposite side of the body of the oil-reservoir casting and cut off from the central chamber therein by walls a.

The interior of the oil-reservoir is provided with a downwardly-proj ecting passage or, connected at its upper end with the annular groove d3 by the ports a0 and opening at its lower end into the oil-reservoir near the base thereof. The lower end of this passage is automatically closed when a vacuum exists in the steam-chamber, as would occur in running downgrade, by means of the check-valve P, provided with a stem p, projecting down into a recess in the plug P,which is screwed into the bottom of the oil-reservoir. The in- .terior of the oil-reservoir is also provided with two passages a8, separated from the body of the chamber by the walls A4 and opening into the chamber or oil-reservoirnear the top thereot` and terminating at their bottoms in the passage h in the plug H as shown most clearly in Fig. l.

The oilreservoir and parts connected thereto are attached to any of the fixed parts of the engine-frame by means of the screwthreaded lug A5 and the nut A6. It is purposed to cast the oil-reservoir and the lug A in one piece and to screw the top, the dripcock, and the various other plugs into suit- IOO tom plate B2, having a downwardly-extend;

ing lug screwing into and forming the top of the oilchamber. rI he said plate is provided with a port bo, connected to the annular groove b3 on the lower face of the bottom plate B2, while a second annular groove b2 is connectedl by ports b' to the steam-passage b, which' opens into the top of the dome and is sepa-y There are@ ordinarily two of these passages b, (shownf: most clearly in Figs. l and 2,) but only onel` Instead of havingg two of these annular grooves between theV base of the steam-chamber and the top of the oilereserv'oir a single annular groove may bei provided, as shown at b5 in Fig. G, which is separated into two parts by the partition D@ and provided with a single port bo in one part for the condensed steam and with two ports b' for the live steam from the passages b. It will be obvious that but one of these passages rated therefrom by the wall B3.

may be used, if desired.

b, and consequently a single port b, may be provided, connected to the annular groove Z922 or b5, for the live steam, but two ports willbelj required in the lower annular groove a2 when'` it is desired to have two pipes for the distri-v bution of oil or to oil two cylinders at once.` I prefer the double-annular-groove system1 shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. G for the'reason that no nice adjustment of the steam-dome on the oilreservoir is required, while with the device shown in Fig. 6 the top of the oil-chamber A would have to be constructed similar to the bottom of the steamdome, and it would be necessary to have the ribs or partitions in the annular groove in both members correspond.

The object of having an annular groove or annular grooves between the oil-reservoir and the condensing-chamberand connecting with the various port-s in the said reservoir and condensingchamber is to render a nice adjustment of the ports relative to each other unnecessary, as the water or steam passing through one of the ports in the condensingchamber will iind a passage through its proper port in the reservoir by passing along the annular groove until it comes to this port,which mayconnectwith the same annular groove at any point. Thus when the condensing-chamber is screwed into the top of the oil-reservoir it will not be necessary for the ports in the respective chambers to exactly register with each other, as would be necessary if such annular grooves were not provided.

The oil is fed to the oil-reservoir by means of the connection D, which is closed by the screw-plug E, and is provided with the passage CZ, leading into the oil-reservoir, and the passage d, leading downward to the gage-tube F, whose lower end terminates in the connection D', provided with oil-passages d2 and d3.

`When the oil-reservoir is charged with oil, the plug E is screwed in and the apparatus operates automatically, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The oil-passage as in the oil-reservoir communicates with the passage h, which opens into the chamber h in the lower connection II. There are two of these connections on either side, where the apparatus is intended to oil in two directions, and as the parts are symmetrical but one side will be described.

Each connection II is provided with an oilpassage h2, terminating in a nozzle h3, which passage is controlled bythe regulating-valve K, having a screw-threaded stem 7a', turned by the handle 7a2, and thus the distance this valve is moved off its seat may be regulated at will.

Above and surrounding the nozzle is a sight-tube G, terminating in the upper connection II', provided with a screw-plug IIO, in which is an upward passage 71,4 for the oil and a lateral passage h7 for the oil, into which lateral passage the live steam coming from the passages l), al, and h6 enters and carries the oil with it through the port Z0, leading to the delivery-pipe L, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.

The lower portion of the screw-plug Il is provided with a perforated screw-plug Il?, through which the passage h'l is provided, above which passage is a valve-seat for the check-valve M,which valve has a stem m, extending up into the recess h1 in the plug Ilo.

Vhen the device is in operation, the pres sure in the different parts will create a balancedeffect upon the valve M, and steam entering the passage b in the steam-chamber will pass downward through the passages dT and h6 and condense in the sight-tube G; but by shutting the valve K and thus releasing the pressure from below the valve M will be caused to drop on its seat. In this latter case the oil from the hand-feed N maybe fed into the passage Z0 and it will be carried along by the live steam also entering this passage Z0 from the passage h6; but the principal function of this valve is to shut oit the live steam from the passage h4 in case the sight-tube is broken. The valve-stein m may also be extended up through the recess h1 tothe exterior and there provided with means for lifting the said valve by hand, if desired.

The operation of the device is as follows: The oilreservoir being supplied with oil through the connection D, and the plug E being screwed in place, steam is admitted into the steam chamber or dome B. Part of this steam condenses and the water of condensation falls into the lower part of the steam-chamber, whence it is drained through the water-port b and the watergrooves Z13 and d3 and port d0 into the oil-reservoir. At the same time some uncondensed steam passes IOO IIO

4livery pipe L to the desired through this port bo into the oil-reservoir, Where it becomes condensed by contact with the cooler oil and settles as water to the bottom of the oil-reservoir, While the oil floats on top of the water which, Whether as Water or as uncondensed steam, has entered the oilreservoir. Vhen the surface of the oil rises above the top of the wall A4, the oil will run down in the passage a8 and through the passage 7L into theA chamber I-I', whence it will rise into the passage h2, if the regulating-valve K be open, due to the pressure within the oilchamber, and will rise in drops through the water in the sight-tube G, Which has condensed therein, as hereinbefore stated. This oil will flow through the passage h4 into the passage or chamber 7L?, Where it Will be carried by the live steam coming through the passage h into the outlet Z0 and thence by the oil-depoint, ordinarily the cylinder to be lubricated. The live steam that enters this passage h6 and carries olf the oil with it is fed from the top of the steam chamber or dome B by means of the passage Z) and thence through the steam-ports b to the steam-grooves b2 and a2, whence it goes through the steam-ports d and steam-passages af to the passages h6 in the connections II. It will be obvious that if after the dome B be filled with steam the connection be cut off with the source of steam supply, then the steam will condense in the said dome, causing a vacuum to exist there, Which under certain conditions will draw the oil from the oilrcservoir, and to prevent this the automatic check-valve P is provided, which closes the passage a when the pressure in the oil-reservoir is materially in excess of that in the steam-chamber.

Instead of having the oil connections on opposite sides of the oil-reservoir A, several oil-supply pipes may be led out from a single pair of Nconnections on one side of the oilreservoir, as is shovm in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. In Fig. S three of these sight-tubes G, with apparatus for conducting oil thereto, are shown as connected to an upper connection II and a lower connection H, from which the oil-supply pipes are led out, asshown, from a single connection in-Fig. 3. Vhere more than two of these sets ofoil connections are used, as indicated in Fig. 8, it would be preferable to have the connections I-I and II jointed, as shown at h, and steadied by means of the tic-brace 72.8 or in any other convenient way. It will be obvious that with an apparatus constructed as shown in Fig. 8 three lubrieating-pipes may be connected to as many points where a lubricant is required. Moreover, the number of these oil connections may be varied at will, and again an equal or a greater or less number of oil connections may be provided on the other side of the oilreservoir, if that be desired. These and various other modifications of the herein-described apparatus might be made, which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isu l. In'a lubricator, the combination with an oil-chamber provided with a condensed- Water passage opening from the top thereof down near the bottom of said oil-chamber, a check-valve preventing the return through said passage of the condensed Water, an oilpassage opening into said oil-chamber near the top thereof, and connections from said oil-passage to the point to be lubricated, of a steam-chamber fitting on top of said oil-chamber, with annular grooves between said steamchamber and said oil-chamber, said steamchamber and said oil-chamber each having condensed -Water ports opening therefrom into one of said grooves, a dry-steam passage provided on the interior of said steam-chamber, and opening at one end into the top of said steam-chamber, and at the other end into the second of said grooves, a steam-outlet from said second groove connected to the system for carrying off the oil, a sight-tube in said system, and an automatically-operating check-valveadapted to shut off the steampressure from said sight-tube, When the latter is broken, substantially as described.

2. In a lubricator, the combination With an oil-chamber provided with a condensed- Water passage opening from the top thereof down near the bottom of said oil-chamber; an automatic check-valve situated beneath the lower opening of said condensed-water passage and preventing the return through said passage of the condensed Water; an oil-v passage opening into lsaid oil-chamber near the top thereof, and connections from said oil-passage to the point to be lubricated; of a steam-chamber fitting on top of said oilchamber, with annular grooves between said steam chamber and said oilchamber, said steam-chamber and said oil-chamber each having ports opening into one of said grooves; a dry-steam passage provided on the interior of said steam-chamber, and opening at one end into the top of the steam-chamber, and at the other end into the second of said annular grooves, said second groove being connected to the system for carrying off the oil by an outlet for the steam; a sight-tube in said syst-em, and an automatically-operating check-valve adapted to close the passage to said sight-tube from above, when the upward pressure thereon is released, substantially as described.

3. In a lubricator, the combination with an oil-chamber provided with a condensedwater passage opening from the top thereof down near the bottom of said oil-chamber; an automatically-acting check-valve situated beneath the lower opening of said condensed- Water passage and adapted to close said opening and prevent the return of the condensed IOO IIO

ISO

grooves, said latter annular groove being eonneeted to the system for carrying` off the oil by an outlet through which the dry steam escapes; a si ght-tube in said system and a valve for Closing the entranee to said sight-tube from above, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l affix iny signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN S. MOORE.

- lVitnesses:

ll. D. Erennu, WILLIAM BRANNAN. 

